Russia is a wonderful tourist destination. Cultural hotspots, UNESCO world heritage sites, world famous theaters and museums, and manmade attractions are all available aplenty in this great country. Most people make their way to the better known tourist destinations of Russia – Saint Petersburg and Moscow – the former and the current capital of the country
However, if you are in the mood to explore something out of the ordinary, here are some of the less visited, but equally stunning natural wonders of this beautiful country. Be sure to make space for them in your itinerary, if planning a trip to Russia. You’ll have a story worth telling ten times over when you get back home.
Lake Baikal(Ксения Володичева)
Although Lake Baikal is the second most voluminous lake in the world with Caspian Sea leading the ranks, it holds the esteemed first position for being the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world. Its average depth is 744.4 m, or 2,442 ft, and it holds around 20% of the entire world’s freshwater supply. Further adding to its laurels, Baikal Lake also happens to be the oldest lake in the world, its age being estimated at more than 25 million years. Located south of Siberia, Baikal Lake is also referred to as the “Pearl of Siberia”. A veritable paradise for nature lovers Baikal is the natural habitat for more than 1,700 species of animals and plants, about 60% of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Lena’s Stone Forest(Наталия Гребёнкина)
Lena’s Stone Forests, also known as Lena’s Stone Pillars, is a stunning and awe-inspiring natural formation that is rather inaccessible to the average tourists. This incredible attraction that can leave you gaping in wonder also holds essential information related to the formation of the world. Fossil remains dating back to the Cambrian era have been found in this region, which have helped scientists unlock various secrets related to the evolution of life on this planet.
Reaching Lena’s Stone Forest is no mean feat. It’s a pretty hectic journey that takes approximately four days. In addition to a long flight from Moscow, you have to endure a 3-day long boat ride into the heart of Siberia accompanied by a local guide who knows the ins and outs of the terrain. Is it arduous? Yes. Is it worth it? Totally!
The Valley Of Geysers(Роза Жукова)
The Valley of Geysers is considered the second largest concentration of geysers in the world and is only geyser field of its kind in Eurasia. Barely 6 km long, this basin has as many as ninety hot springs and geysers in it. It is located in Kronotsky Nature Preserve in the Kamchatka Peninsula, and it’s one of the very few places in the world that has naturally occurring geysers. Others include America’s Yellowstone National Park, Chile, New Zealand, and Iceland. Owing to its location in one of the remotest parts of Russia, the Valley of Geysers is extremely difficult to reach, and the only way in and out of the valley is by helicopters.
Columns of Erosion(Екатерина Зайцева)
Located in the Troitsko-Pecherskiy area of the Komi Republic are the Columns of Erosion, which are also known as Manpupuner. They are considered amongst the most mysterious attractions of the world. Locals refer to them as the “7 Strong Men” even as scientists try to explain these gigantic tower-like structures – with heights that reach up to 42 meters – that seem to have sprouted out of nowhere on the flat plateau. The site is hard to reach but once again, totally worth your time as well as your effort.
The Golden Mountains of Altai(Виолетта Коннова)
A vast area that includes the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain and the Ukok Plateau, the Golden Mountains of Altai is one of the most jaw-dropping natural sights of Russia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Golden Mountains are home to endangered species like the snow leopard and the Altai Argali, the largest species of sheep in the world. Located in Southern Siberia, this region is very difficult to access, and some areas are so remote, they can only be reached by helicopter. The Altai Mountains include about 1,500 glaciers, and ridges that represent the highest point of the Arctic Ocean watershed.
Mount Elbrus(Эльвира Минниханова)
A non-active volcano that last erupted in the Holocene, Mount Elbrus is one of Russia’s most stunning peaks. Located in the western Caucasus mountain range, Elbrus stands at 18,150 feet in height. During the early years of the Soviet Union, it was a popular site for mountaineering, and between 1959 and 1976 it actually had a cable car system that took visitors as high as 12,500 feet. Mount Elbrus still sees a lot of hiking traffic in the summer, though winter is far to harsh to welcome any but the most experienced mountaineers.
Volga River(Антонина Ожерельева)
The Volga is the largest river in Europe, flowing through central Russia and most of the nation’s biggest cities, including Moscow. It feeds some of the largest reservoirs in the world, which provide both irrigation and hydroelectric power. It freezes most of its length for three months out of the year and is home to pelicans and flamingoes. The river plays an important role in Russian myth and fairytales.
Virgin Komi Forests
One of Russia’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Komi is the largest virgin boreal forest in Europe and is rich in conifers, aspens, birches, peat bogs, rivers and natural lakes and home to elk, gray wolves, beavers, wolverine and eurasian otters. Locate in the Urals region, the Virgin Komi Forest was named a World Heritage Site in 1995, saving it from imminent logging. Illegal logging and gold-mining is still a problem, and local governments often make efforts to move the site’s borders in order to access the lucrative gold-rich areas.
Putorana Plateau(Анастасия Семеева)
Among the most remote and untouched areas of Russia, the Putorana Plateau is a high-lying basalt plateau in the geographic center of Russia. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the plateau includes subarctic and arctic ecosystems, an isolated mountain range, forest tundra, arctic desert systems and untouched cold-water lake and river systems. It contains some of the largest-known nickel deposits in the world.
The Curonian Split(Полина Старцева)
Spectacular shimmering sand dunes and wide, fine beaches are among the highlights of the Curonian Split, which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Stretching from Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia up to Lithuania, the Curonian Split is home to the highest drifting sand dunes in Europe, some of which can get up to nearly 200 feet in height.
The Kungur Ice Cave(Полина Старцева)
Famous for its ice formations, the Kungur Ice Cave gets at least one hundred thousand visitors every year, with a total number of tourists exceeding 5 million. And yet, for all of this traffic, only a small part of the cave has actually been explored. Nobody’s quite sure who discovered the caves, or exactly when. The ice formations inside often have a sculptural look, and the cave is also full of stalactites and stalagmites. See some amazing photos of this underground wonder at English Russia.
Maly Semyachik Volcano(Валерия Тюрина)
This stratovolcano in the eastern part of Kamatchka Peninsula, Russia is filled with a hot, acidic crater lake in a shocking shade of blue-green. Adventurous travelers hike up the mountain to get a look at the lake in person. The lake is located within the active Troitsky crater, and measures 600 meters in diameter. Minerals like aluminum and copper are thought to give the lake its unusual hue.
Uzon Caldera(Диана Шеламова)
Not far from MalySemyachik and the Valley of the Geysers is the Uzon Caldera, a vast field of geothermal craters and active volcanoes, stretching over 6,200 miles wide. The Uzon Caldera also contains poisonous mud cauldrons, freshwater lakes, a berry tundra and a birch forest. The mud cauldrons are home to some of the world’s most extreme bacteria, which can thrive in some of the least hospitable environments on earth.
Please, write about natural wonders here
However, if you are in the mood to explore something out of the ordinary, here are some of the less visited, but equally stunning natural wonders of this beautiful country. Be sure to make space for them in your itinerary, if planning a trip to Russia. You’ll have a story worth telling ten times over when you get back home.
Lake Baikal (Ксения Володичева)
Although Lake Baikal is the second most voluminous lake in the world with Caspian Sea leading the ranks, it holds the esteemed first position for being the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world. Its average depth is 744.4 m, or 2,442 ft, and it holds around 20% of the entire world’s freshwater supply. Further adding to its laurels, Baikal Lake also happens to be the oldest lake in the world, its age being estimated at more than 25 million years. Located south of Siberia, Baikal Lake is also referred to as the “Pearl of Siberia”. A veritable paradise for nature lovers Baikal is the natural habitat for more than 1,700 species of animals and plants, about 60% of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.Lena’s Stone Forest (Наталия Гребёнкина)
Lena’s Stone Forests, also known as Lena’s Stone Pillars, is a stunning and awe-inspiring natural formation that is rather inaccessible to the average tourists. This incredible attraction that can leave you gaping in wonder also holds essential information related to the formation of the world. Fossil remains dating back to the Cambrian era have been found in this region, which have helped scientists unlock various secrets related to the evolution of life on this planet.Reaching Lena’s Stone Forest is no mean feat. It’s a pretty hectic journey that takes approximately four days. In addition to a long flight from Moscow, you have to endure a 3-day long boat ride into the heart of Siberia accompanied by a local guide who knows the ins and outs of the terrain. Is it arduous? Yes. Is it worth it? Totally!
The Valley Of Geysers (Роза Жукова)
The Valley of Geysers is considered the second largest concentration of geysers in the world and is only geyser field of its kind in Eurasia. Barely 6 km long, this basin has as many as ninety hot springs and geysers in it. It is located in Kronotsky Nature Preserve in the Kamchatka Peninsula, and it’s one of the very few places in the world that has naturally occurring geysers. Others include America’s Yellowstone National Park, Chile, New Zealand, and Iceland. Owing to its location in one of the remotest parts of Russia, the Valley of Geysers is extremely difficult to reach, and the only way in and out of the valley is by helicopters.Columns of Erosion (Екатерина Зайцева)
Located in the Troitsko-Pecherskiy area of the Komi Republic are the Columns of Erosion, which are also known as Manpupuner. They are considered amongst the most mysterious attractions of the world. Locals refer to them as the “7 Strong Men” even as scientists try to explain these gigantic tower-like structures – with heights that reach up to 42 meters – that seem to have sprouted out of nowhere on the flat plateau. The site is hard to reach but once again, totally worth your time as well as your effort.The Golden Mountains of Altai (Виолетта Коннова)
A vast area that includes the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain and the Ukok Plateau, the Golden Mountains of Altai is one of the most jaw-dropping natural sights of Russia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Golden Mountains are home to endangered species like the snow leopard and the Altai Argali, the largest species of sheep in the world. Located in Southern Siberia, this region is very difficult to access, and some areas are so remote, they can only be reached by helicopter. The Altai Mountains include about 1,500 glaciers, and ridges that represent the highest point of the Arctic Ocean watershed.Mount Elbrus (Эльвира Минниханова)
A non-active volcano that last erupted in the Holocene, Mount Elbrus is one of Russia’s most stunning peaks. Located in the western Caucasus mountain range, Elbrus stands at 18,150 feet in height. During the early years of the Soviet Union, it was a popular site for mountaineering, and between 1959 and 1976 it actually had a cable car system that took visitors as high as 12,500 feet. Mount Elbrus still sees a lot of hiking traffic in the summer, though winter is far to harsh to welcome any but the most experienced mountaineers.Volga River (Антонина Ожерельева)
The Volga is the largest river in Europe, flowing through central Russia and most of the nation’s biggest cities, including Moscow. It feeds some of the largest reservoirs in the world, which provide both irrigation and hydroelectric power. It freezes most of its length for three months out of the year and is home to pelicans and flamingoes. The river plays an important role in Russian myth and fairytales.Virgin Komi Forests
One of Russia’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Komi is the largest virgin boreal forest in Europe and is rich in conifers, aspens, birches, peat bogs, rivers and natural lakes and home to elk, gray wolves, beavers, wolverine and eurasian otters. Locate in the Urals region, the Virgin Komi Forest was named a World Heritage Site in 1995, saving it from imminent logging. Illegal logging and gold-mining is still a problem, and local governments often make efforts to move the site’s borders in order to access the lucrative gold-rich areas.
Putorana Plateau (Анастасия Семеева)
Among the most remote and untouched areas of Russia, the Putorana Plateau is a high-lying basalt plateau in the geographic center of Russia. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the plateau includes subarctic and arctic ecosystems, an isolated mountain range, forest tundra, arctic desert systems and untouched cold-water lake and river systems. It contains some of the largest-known nickel deposits in the world.The Curonian Split (Полина Старцева)
Spectacular shimmering sand dunes and wide, fine beaches are among the highlights of the Curonian Split, which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Stretching from Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia up to Lithuania, the Curonian Split is home to the highest drifting sand dunes in Europe, some of which can get up to nearly 200 feet in height.The Kungur Ice Cave (Полина Старцева)
Famous for its ice formations, the Kungur Ice Cave gets at least one hundred thousand visitors every year, with a total number of tourists exceeding 5 million. And yet, for all of this traffic, only a small part of the cave has actually been explored. Nobody’s quite sure who discovered the caves, or exactly when. The ice formations inside often have a sculptural look, and the cave is also full of stalactites and stalagmites. See some amazing photos of this underground wonder at English Russia.Maly Semyachik Volcano (Валерия Тюрина)
This stratovolcano in the eastern part of Kamatchka Peninsula, Russia is filled with a hot, acidic crater lake in a shocking shade of blue-green. Adventurous travelers hike up the mountain to get a look at the lake in person. The lake is located within the active Troitsky crater, and measures 600 meters in diameter. Minerals like aluminum and copper are thought to give the lake its unusual hue.Uzon Caldera (Диана Шеламова)
Not far from MalySemyachik and the Valley of the Geysers is the Uzon Caldera, a vast field of geothermal craters and active volcanoes, stretching over 6,200 miles wide. The Uzon Caldera also contains poisonous mud cauldrons, freshwater lakes, a berry tundra and a birch forest. The mud cauldrons are home to some of the world’s most extreme bacteria, which can thrive in some of the least hospitable environments on earth.Please, write about natural wonders here